This invention relates to works of visual and sculptural art, and to methods of making them. More particularly, this invention relates to a decorative article, in the nature of "bric-a-brac", which provides an eye-pleasing pictorial or design image, which may contain coloration if desired.
Visual or sculptural images have heretofore been applied to transparent materials such as glass or plastic. Such images may be applied to glass by sand-blasting or chemical etching, or they may be carved into the surface of glass or plastic using grinding or cutting tools. The latter kind of image, which may technically be referred to as an "intaglio" image, is the reverse of a so-called "relief" image (in which the image stands out from a reference surface).
Intaglio and other images in transparent bodies can be quite attractive, but they can also be difficult to perceive due to a lack of contrast between the image and the background material.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a work of visual and sculptural art in which the contrast between an image, such as, for example, intaglio image, and the transparent body on which the image is made, is enhanced, so as to enhance the appearance of the image and the overall work. It is another object of the present invention to provide, in conjunction with an intaglio or other image in a transparent body, attractive and easily applied coloration, to further enhance the appearance of the image and the work.
In another of its aspects, the present invention relates to a method of making a work of visual and sculptural art, the practice of which produces relatively high contrast between an intaglio image and a transparent body in which it is formed.